Digges Amendment facts for kids

The Digges Amendment was a proposed change to Maryland's state rules in 1910. Its main goal was to make it harder for Black citizens to vote. This was planned by the mostly white members of the Maryland Democratic Party.

The idea for this amendment came from Walter M. Digges, a state representative. It was also supported by state senator William J. Frere. The proposal was approved by the Maryland General Assembly, which was controlled by Democrats, and by Governor Austin Lane Crothers. However, it needed to be approved by the voters in a general election, and it was not.

A Look Back: Voting Rights in Maryland

After a short time when the Republican Party was in charge in Maryland (1896-1900), the Democratic Party took control again. Many African Americans had supported the Republicans. When Democrats came back to power, they wanted to limit the voting rights of Black citizens. This was because more African American Republican politicians were being elected.

The Democrats tried three times to change Maryland's rules to stop Black citizens from voting:

• The Poe Amendment in 1905
• The Strauss Amendment in 1908-1909
• The Digges Amendment in 1910-1911

All three of these attempts were rejected by the voters.

What the Digges Amendment Proposed

If the Digges Amendment had been approved, it would have changed who could vote. All white male citizens over 21 years old would still have the right to vote. However, all other men would have had to prove something special. They would need to show they had owned property worth at least $500 for the two years before the election. They also had to show they had paid taxes on it. This rule would have mostly affected Black voters.

Before the 1911 election, the Maryland General Assembly also tried to pass a temporary law. This law would have limited votes in areas where most people were Black. But the Governor stopped this law because many people were against it. African Americans were very active and fought against this unfair rule. Because of this, all male Marylanders kept their chance to vote in the election.

Why the Amendment Was Controversial

Maryland had not approved the Fifteenth Amendment in 1870. This national amendment said that states could not stop someone from voting based on their race. Walter Digges and William Frere argued that this national amendment did not apply to state-level elections in Maryland.

Even some leaders from Southern states were against the Digges plan. They worried that such a clear challenge to the Fifteenth Amendment could hurt their own efforts. Many Southern states had already passed new rules since 1890. These rules made it harder to register to vote. This effectively stopped most Black citizens from voting. They were trying to do this in a way that seemed legal. They feared the Digges Amendment was too obvious and might cause problems for their own laws.

The Vote Against the Amendment

In the 1911 general election in Maryland, the Digges Amendment was defeated. There were 46,220 votes for the proposal and 83,920 votes against it. This shows that more than half of the voters did not want this amendment. The Democratic candidates for governor also lost to the Republican candidates, but by a much smaller difference in votes.